prepared by Joanne Mead – 8th February 2026
Greetings to you all , in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ – the Light of the World, who invites us to be both salt and light. Without light, nothing can grow, light is not just a nice-to-have. Without salt, our food would be without flavour and would be very bland. Come share in the fellowship of Christ’s light, for all are welcome, wherever you are reading this.
StF 157: God has spoken – by his prophets.
Join with us as come to God with our Prayers of Adoration and Confession.
Let us pray.
Holy and gracious God, we come before you in awe and gratitude, celebrating your boundless grace that shines into the shadows of our world. You are the Light that banishes all darkness, illuminating our paths and kindling hope where despair once dwelled. You call us to be salt—bringing flavour, preservation, and healing to the brokenness around us, and to be your light—reflecting your love and truth in every corner of creation.
We praise you for your steadfast faithfulness, for sending your Son, the Light of the World, to reveal your mercy and to restore all things. Thank you for the gentle touch of your Spirit, stirring us to shine brightly and live lives that bless others. May our lives be a testament to your grace breaking through, transforming darkness to light and sorrow to joy. All glory and honour be yours, now and forever. Amen.
Merciful God, we humbly confess that there are moments when we fall short of your calling to be salt and light in the world. Forgive us for times when we have hidden our light, choosing comfort over courage and silence over truth. Forgive us for the occasions when we have lost our flavour—when we have withheld kindness, compassion, or justice from those in need, and failed to preserve what is good and true.
We acknowledge the shadows we have allowed to linger through neglect, self-interest, or fear. Restore in us the desire to shine with your love and to bring hope and healing where there is brokenness. Renew us by your Spirit, that we may reflect your grace more boldly and live as faithful witnesses to your transforming light. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Matthew 5:13-20 (New International Version, 2011)
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore, anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Reflection
Have you ever found yourself in pitch blackness so dark, you couldn’t even see your hand in front of your face? It’s quite unnerving because we lose our sense of space, with no point of reference. There’s a real danger that we injure ourselves on an unseen hazard. The Bible often uses darkness as a metaphor for sin, remoteness from God – a place of danger and despair. In contrast, light is something that brings life, hope, growth, and comfort. Light is revealing, enlightening and uplifting. It helps us find our way too.
Salt on the other hand has been a valued commodity since Biblical times. Salt was a means of preserving food, it gave flavour to cooking. The crude salt was stored in a pile outside the dwelling – a mixture of salt and sand. If rain came, the ‘salt’ would be dissolved away, leaving only the sand – and the ‘salt’ would lose its saltiness. In that state, it was worthless and had no useful purpose.
Jesus uses these two metaphors very creatively in our passage from Matthew 5. We are meant to be salt and light. We are meant to be beacons in our troubled world – showing people the life that is theirs when they put their trust in Jesus rather than relying on their inept efforts at keeping the commandments. Jesus didn’t make life easy by abolishing the laws that the people found difficult, rather he represented a different way forward that was not reliant on people’s ability to do what is right. That doesn’t mean we don’t do our best to do the right thing, but our future in God’s presence is no longer wholly reliant on us doing so, because Jesus intercedes on our behalf.
I had an Auntie who always tried to be helpful. She lived much closer to my Dad’s workplace than home, so he used to go to his sister’s house and she cooked him lunch. One day he came home and proudly presented Mum with some soda bread Annie had baked for him. It was inedible. No amount of butter, no amount of jam could disguise the fact. The next time he went to his sister’s, she confessed that the soda bread wasn’t good – she had forgotten an important ingredient – salt!
Jesus tells the people they need to be salt and light – that they cannot pick and choose which laws to keep and which ones to ignore. Even today, the ways of this world are often dark and unsavoury. God wants us to be beacons to the world around us and he wants us to be like salt, giving people the flavour of life in God’s Kingdom. He wants us to live lives that are authentic and reflect the glory of God.
In the same way that Jesus made it clear that the Jews couldn’t pick and choose the laws they would keep and the ones they felt they could ignore – our lives need to reflect the values of the Beatitudes. Humility and love sit central to those. We cannot pick and choose who we help or who we care for. We cannot pick and choose the aspects of the Christian life we will uphold and those we will ignore. We cannot choose who we will welcome and who we will turn away.
The truth is that all are loved by God, Jesus spent much of his earthly ministry amongst those the Jewish leaders detested. He befriended the outcasts, the tax collectors, women whose were considered unclean. Are we willing to reach out to the unloved, the objectionable, the people who think the Bible is total fiction and illuminate their lives with the power of God’s love?
For many of us – it means taking a deep breath and trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide us through. Sometimes we find ourselves out of our comfort zone, it’s not an easy place to be. If you go to exercise classes, if you don’t keeping pushing your body to do more, you will not progress. I enjoy learning both clarinet and saxophone – if my tutor hadn’t gradually increased the complexity of the music he gave me to learn, I would not have progressed. Sometimes we need to stick out like a sore thumb for the Gospel’s sake so that the light of the Gospel can shine through us. If we all set out minds to be lights upon a lampstand, just think how transformational that would be! Amen
Prayers of Intercession
Gracious God, we come before you aware of the troubles that afflict our world. We pray for all those who are weighed down by hardship, for those who live in poverty, conflict, and fear. Bring them comfort, hope, and the assurance of your loving presence. May your light shine in the darkest corners and your peace touch the hearts of the suffering.
Lord, we ask that you inspire us to be salt and light in our communities. Help us to be a source of encouragement and kindness to those who feel invisible or forgotten. Teach us to act with humility and love, reaching out to the outcast, the lonely, and those who are struggling to find meaning or hope.
We pray for leaders and decision-makers, that they may pursue justice, mercy, and peace. Guide them to serve with integrity and compassion, seeking the good of all people, especially the most vulnerable. May your wisdom and light lead the way in times of uncertainty.
For the Church, the body of Christ across the world, we pray that we would truly reflect your glory—living lives that are authentic and welcoming. Help us to be beacons of grace and agents of healing, showing the flavour of your Kingdom through our words and deeds. We pray for the life and witness of those who are reading this service, they they too may find their voice and share the Good News.
Loving Father, give us courage to leave our comfort zones, trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we seek to illuminate the lives of those around us. May we stand firm in faith, never choosing who to love or who to care for, but embracing all with the radical compassion of Jesus.
We offer these prayers in Jesus’ name. Amen.
StF 687: One human family God has made
| One human family God has made, and all for each to care. One world, to be the home of all, with all its wealth to share. One Christ, to manifest on earth love’s ultimate design, One Church to know the mystery of broken bread and wine. One race, one world – yet torn apart, we spurn the way of love. But still ahead, the Christ leads on and calls his Church to move from love of power to power of love, to give the world to all – to trust the love that conquered death, outside the city wall. | And are we brave enough to join with that great company – the cost, not less than all we have and are or hope to be – the bitter cup of human sin to drink with him who died, and take his love outside the wall to all the crucified. Claim him who claims us as his own to share the pain and grief, to bear the scars that stamp us his – the hallmarks of belief. As partners of the living Christ, who risk the path he trod, with wondering love we find we share the timeless joy of God. Rosemary Wakelin (CCLI 2421926) |
The Blessing
In the darkness – may you be light,
In the chaos – may you bring calm,
In the midst of hopelessness – may you bring peace.
And may God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit be with you now and always.
Amen.
